hills&valleys

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade but all it takes to find out the surgical procedure is a basic Google search. Just type "CPT" (Current Procedural Terminology) and the procedure number; example: CPT 43773 is "Laparoscopy, surgical, gastric restrictive procedure". The CPT # will most likely have a modifier added to differentiate the various restrictive procedures (Band, VSG, ESG, Duo-Switchn etc.) HR should not have access to HIPAA protected medical records submitted to the company's insurance provider or division. The Healthcare provider/Surgeon and facility should be filing the insurance claim directly which would bypass the HR Dept.

I take risk in business but not with my health. I will add that as far as the hard candy....I am a "sucker" not a chew-er but the remedy to the accidental swallowing is a definite deterrent!

I love Premier Clear Peach (haven't tried the Tropical Punch flavor) ! They are very refreshing and a welcome change from the thickness of the protein shakes. I have not been able to find them on store shelves and have had to order online. If anyone knows of a store which stocks them, the information would be greatly appreciated!

That is frightening!

I wish you speedy healing and great success! I am having VSG on March 3rd. I am self-pay so opted to have surgery at Endohospital (endobariatric.com) with Dr Alvarez. His surgical fee is almost twice the average of most of the procedures in Mexico but his CV is most impressive. Medical tourism made me nervous so I did extensive research. Being an active International Member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) and a Member of International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) helped ease my concerns. I am supposed to start my one week pre-op liquid only diet on Friday but opted to start early (Tuesday)....so far so good. It is always interesting to hear the variations of protocols of different surgeons/programs but we all have the same objectives....improved health and getting the monkey off our backs! Keep us posted on your progress!

Love affair may have been the wrong term but we do have a dependence on food for a multitude of reasons. The point I was trying to make is that your lack of interest in food is the perfect time to establish a new and healthier relationship with food and to adopt new activities to transfer your focus before the Honeymoon Phase is over.

I am not criticizing you. People do not become morbidly obese if they have an adversion to food. If you never had a "love affair" with food, how did you reach a weight of 372 pounds? You may CURRENTLY have no interest in eating as a result of WLS but; as all of us who are in the process or have had WLS, we have or had an unhealthy and excessive consumption of food. The majority of obese individuals suffer from addictive and/or compulsive disorders. The energy from one activity (in this case, eating) has to be transferred to another to fill the void previously occupied by food and eating. This is why therapists encourage adding new healthy activites and interests to shift our focus on not what we have lost but what we are gaining.

I am having VSG surgery at Endobariatric with Dr. Alvarez on 3/3/23. Dr. Alvarez's fees are almost twice that of other sugeons in Mexico but his credentials, professional memberships/affiliations and surgical success/risk rating is among the best of bariatric surgeons internationally .... I am confident in my choice! You need to evaluate whether you are mentally prepared to make permanent changes to your relationship with food. Emotional eaters frequently go through a mourning period because it is harder to depend on food as a crutch to deal with life's problems and disappointments. WLS does not force a person's compliance. Adherence to a structured plan is essential to success. WLS is not a cure all or quick fix....it is a tool which can HELP us but we still have to be disciplined and put in the work. Not only do we need to physically prepare ourselves for WLS, but mentally as well. Drastic weight loss can cause fluctuations in hormones which can create an emotional roller coaster ride. If you are suffering with episodic periods of depression, i strongly suggest working with a therapist before pursuing WLS, which is a dramatic life changing event. Best of luck to you!

For those of you who have have very light colored hair (blonde, grey/white).....BABY POWDER! In a pinch when I need to extend my shampooing, instead of using dry shampoo, I discovered baby powder. It hides my scalp, absorbs excess oil and thickens my hair.

Has anyone tried this.....

It is never too early to start exercising more or establishing a good vitamin regime. A gradual reduction of carbs will also be beneficial. Focus on eating slower, chewing thoroughly, eliminating sodas/carbonated drinks and increasing water consumption. Often insurance companies and/or sugeons will have hoops you will have to jump through, such as...nutrition classes, participation in diet plans, counseling sessions, endoscopy, EKG/ECG. Although on rare occasions the process may be swift, in general it will often take 6 months to a year from the first appointment to surgery. Congrats on taking charge of your life!

Cardiac Clearance Passport Renewal Will be finalizing the March 3rd date with Dr. Alvarez at Endobariatrics on Monday!

My surgery is planned at Endobariactrics, in Piedras Negras, Mexico which is just across the border from Eagle Pass, TX. Until a couple of weeks ago, a passport had not been required but according to agents at travel.state.gov; standard pre-pandemic border crossing policies have been reinstated. Maybe the San Diego/Tijuana border is handled differently.

During the pandemic, a large number of government employees (including passport officials) were working from home and as a result border crossing requirements between US/Mexico and US/Canada were eased to only requiring a birth certificate and a current government issued ID. About a month ago, the normal border crossing policies were reinstated and now require a passport again. As a result, there has been a deluge of passport applications. Due to the volume of applications, on 2/6/23, the normal 3 to 5 week processing time for the upcharged "Expediated Service" was increased to its current is 5 to 7 week turn-around. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to set up an appointment at an official passport office for immediate issuance if travel is planned within 14 days.

I hope to get back to that point after VSG surgery! Mentally, the thin-me vs the fat-me had a vastly different relationship with food. The thin-me lived by the ethos of "eat to live not live to eat" and "nothing tastes as good as thin feels". After a 2012 accident and major life change, I flipped to the "dark" side with food being more of a focus with my enjoyment in food replacing the of joy of living life's events. Long term success will be increased if you establish some new habits and interests while taking advantage of the diminished focus on food. Look to becoming more active in your community, i.e. volunteer work, tennis, pickleball, adult softball leagues, Habitat for Humanity and/or; art, computer or carpentry classes at the Community College. WLS gives us a tool to help us to LIVE LIFE rather than just EXIST on the sidelines! You are mourning the loss of your love affair with food. You have to replace that loss with a love of something else....preferably something healthy....active and more conducive with your new life's goals!

The increase of headaches and migraines during the pre-op diet is due to carbohydrate withdrawal. For future pre-opers, the best way to reduce carb and caffine withdrawal headaches is to gradually decrease carbs and caffeine over a period of weeks rather than a sudden cold turkey approach.

These are my favorite plus they count as your water intake.

Tentatively, I will be joining the March group. I have a final hurdle of a 2/13/23 ECG to get cardiac clearance as required by the surgeon. In preparation, I have already had my "food funerals" and have started cutting carbs. I have also been psyching myself up to mentally prepare for the pre-op diet. Fingers crossed that I will be joining you in "Marching" toward a renewed focus on health!

Newbie here.....what is a BC control change?

People who have been overweight for most of their years, especially during puberty, the skeletal development's major hormonal growth period; do have thicker bones to accommodate the extra weight

I was diagnosed with Grave's disease at 20 years old. Because of my age (child bearing years) Radioactive Iodine was not a treatment option and I had to have the majority of my thyroid removed. The stress of a pregnancy destroyed the functionality of the remaining thyroid and I have been on 175 mcg since (30+ years) but still have trouble maintaining adequate T3 levels even when taking T3 directly. Medications can never fully replicate God's design and as a result my metabolism has never recovered completely. To stay thin, I became a master of deprivation and an extreme carb-phobic. Until 2012, I "dealt" with "skinny people problems". As far as underarm hollows, it may take time to increase your flexibility, but raising your arm with your elbow behind your head alleviates the hollows. The issue of hip bones, bony knees & rumps, etc., we become so accustomed to extra padding we forget that this is how our bodies are supposed to be. As overweight people, few of us have the layer of muscle and the thin layer of FIRM fat the human body should have. When we lose excessive weight, we lack the muscle and the fat that remains is loose and contained within loose skin so it "parts" like the Red Sea when pressure is placed on bones. The solution is the bane of our existence.....exercise, specifically weight training to build muscle. Loose skin will always make our "thin layer of fat" loose rather than firm but it sure beats being obese. As far as feeling cold, I can't speak with any authority. Being severely hypothyroid, I have difficulty regulating body temp (my normal temperature runs 96.4). When i get chilled, it takes an Act of Congress to warm me up. On the rare occasions I get overheated, I am unable to sweat which is the natural mechanism to cool oneself, so I must resort to cold showers.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16989694/#:~:text=Acidic levels in the oral,dental caries and tooth erosion.

I would respond that I could still enjoy food and wine in moderation and have discovered there is so much more fulfillment when life's activities are not limited by an obsession with food and drink. It is the difference of choosing living over existing.

I received more frequent offensive comments during my thin years than my heavy years. A woman doesn't appreciate being told if she stands sideways and sticks out her tongue, she would look like a zipper! People feel it is okay to publicly poke fun at thin people but they generally only criticize heavy people privately. Neither is acceptable.

There are a lot of variables to consider. IMO, BMI is flawed....the formula is based on an average body composition. It does not take in consideration frame size, bone mass, muscle mass, large breasted vs small breasted (boobs are heavy!), body shape (ectomorph, mesomorph & endomorph). If you were overweight in your youth and/or the majority of your life, your bones had to accommodate more weight so therefore are most likely larger and heavier than someone who has been slim most of their lives. Thirty years ago, the general rule for women was a baseline of 100 pounds for a 5 foot woman and 5 pounds for each additional inch. That is an average, but for me at 5'5", I am chubby at 125, where as; my daughter at 2 inches shorter, looks amazing at 135. Before the weight gain in 2012, my natural shape was hourglass (metomorph) with broad shoulders, heavy chested, small waist and slim legs on a small/medium frame. My daughter is rectangular (ectomorph) with broad shoulders, heavy chested, thick waisted, narrow hipped and thicker legs on a medium/large frame. My best weight is 112 to 117 but my daughter, even though she is 2 inches shorter, looks best at 132 to 138. "It really doesn't take body shape into account as I've never had an hourglass figure - I joke that I'm shaped like a plank with tits. Straight up and down." YES, YES, YES! The variations in the natural body composition of ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph is not considered when computing BMI. An hourglass shape will carry more fat than a plank shape at the same weight! Weight is a personal matter. You have to find where you are comfortable and a weight that can be easily maintained. Listen to your body and listen to your doctor but don't let others get into your head.